Criminal Defense

If you face criminal charges, the prosecution will feel much more confident if they have an eyewitness willing to testify against you. They will rightly believe that this person could have the ability to sway a judge or jury toward believing you committed the crime....

The criminal statute of limitations in California sets specific time limits within which prosecutors can file criminal charges against individuals. California's statute of limitations ensures that cases are brought to trial within a reasonable time frame, which...

California residents rely on their Fourth Amendment rights to protect them from unlawful searches and seizures by law enforcement. Although the right sounds clear, new scenarios continually raise questions about what police can call lawful when looking for evidence of...

A plea bargaining agreement could keep a defendant from serving a harsher sentence in California. A defendant looking at likely conviction at trial may then face many years in prison and a heavy fine, depending on the crimes committed. A plea bargain may reduce the...

California mental health diversion is a pretrial program that gets allows eligible people to receive mental health treatment rather than entering the U.S. criminal justice system. The program is based on the belief that in some cases treatment is a better option than...

California law gives people significant leeway when it comes to defending themselves against a home invasion. These laws are often called Castle laws, drawing on the idea that a person's home is their castle and they have a right to defend it and themselves when...

Section 197 through 199 of the California Penal Code outlines the state's self-defense laws. The term used in the penal codes is justifiable homicide. Under Chapter 1, Homicide, there are sections on excusable homicides, or accidents, justifiable homicide by peace...

California’s Sudden Emergency Doctrine, often called the doctrine of imminent peril, can be used by defendants to delay court actions through processes and motions. It can also be used by those trying to prevent unfair findings of comparative negligence. In order to...

If you are charged with a criminal offense by California authorities, the law presumes that you are innocent until proven guilty. To obtain a conviction, it must be shown beyond a reasonable doubt that you violated state law. There are several defenses that you may...

Of the myriad ways an individual can be charged at the federal level, mail fraud is seen the most often. You might find it helpful to learn about the legal definition of mail fraud as it takes place in California. What makes it mail fraud? By itself, fraud is the act...